ISLAMABAD, March 21: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that Pakistan’s nuclear programme is meant to keep a minimum credible deterrence, necessary for peace in the region, and it will also be utilised to meet energy requirements. Talking to Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Peter Pace, who had called on him at Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday, Mr Aziz said: “Pakistan has proposed nuclear restraint regime which it believes will be a good option for South Asia.”

In an indirect reference to the Indo-US nuclear deal, the prime minister said: “We believe that a level playing field should be maintained in the region and expect all member countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to be sensitive to Pakistan’s energy needs and extend cooperation in the civilian nuclear sector.”

Mr Aziz said that such cooperation could also help achieve the shared objective of stability in South Asia and a strong global non-proliferation regime.

On the issue of Afghanistan, he said Pakistan and the US had shared objectives in peace and security of the neighbouring country. Pakistan would continue to support the Karzai-led government because it was convinced that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in its own interest.

Cooperation between Pakistan and the US in military and security fields was also reviewed.

The prime minister said that Pakistan had appreciated the generous and prompt US assistance in areas of relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the quake-affected people.